


Dozing with My Eyes Open

by Poochee



Series: LauntFamily!AU [4]
Category: Formula 1 RPF, Rush (2013)
Genre: Baby!Kimi, Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Humor, James and Kimi Moments, M/M, Niki Babysits, Sick Baby!Kimi, don't worry we're getting there, this Launt is slow burning i know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-24 21:23:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1617557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poochee/pseuds/Poochee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>They’re quiet for a moment, the silence filled with Niki unfolding the newspaper and James dipping the spoon into the bowl again. Kimi hums and grunts, smacking the little tabletop with his chubby hands as he turns his head to look at Niki. James glances over at the Austrian as well, grabbing another spoonful of banana and smirking when he feeds Kimi, watching how the little brat doesn’t even take his eyes away from their flatmate.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Niki, you have an admirer,” he says softly, and Niki looks up from his newspaper, his brows furrowed in the way they usually are on the track. His face relaxes and the two stare at one another, Kimi sucking on his fist again and Niki holding onto his newspaper.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“What?” He asks, and Kimi gives a little squeal, back to chewing on his fist again just moments later. James can’t help but to chuckle.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Niki smiles back at the little boy and shakes his head, returning to his paper while James leans in to press a kiss to his son’s cheek. </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dozing with My Eyes Open

**Author's Note:**

> this took way too long to write! sorry for the delay!  
> please enjoy <3

Kimi has a…interesting cry. It’s not often that his little bundle cries at the top of his lungs, but when he does, James wants to both laugh and cry along with him. There’s no real way to explain it unless trying to imitate Kimi’s fitful and upset crying, but it’s along the lines of a very fast series of ‘wah’s. One night, or early morning, James is roused by such cries, ‘wahwahwahwahwahwahwahwahwah’ in between deep breaths.

The Brit all but jumps out of bed and rushes to Kimi’s crib in the corner, half asleep and murmuring comforting words to his son, shushing him as he carefully picks up the crying six-month-old from the bed.

“Shh, darling, I’m here, papa’s here…” he murmurs, petting Kimi’s soft platinum-blond hair, holding him against his bare chest to only realize that Kimi’s forehead is _burning_ and so is the rest of him.

Kimi has a fever. He’s sick.

Shit.

“ _James!_ ”

Double shit.

“Look, you’ve woken Niki,” he murmurs as Kimi continues to cry, slowly waking up as he begins to pace around their bedroom, gently bouncing and rocking Kimi as he tries to think of what to do. They have no medicine for kids, just cough syrup and aspirin in the bathroom mirror.

Niki knocks once before pushing the door open, looking ruffled and sleepy, dark circles under his eyes and a frown on his face as he glares at the two. James offers him an awkward smile as he continues to hold his son, bouncing him gently.

“Make him stop crying.” James can barely hear Niki.

Still, he’s a little upset that Niki’s half-yelling at him over his crying and sick son, “What do you think I’m trying to do?!”

“Well, you are not trying very hard, are you?!”

James is about to retort, but stops when Kimi starts again, his little ‘wahs’ going off and the two men stop to stare at each other.

Niki stares at Kimi, who’s burying his face into James’ neck and crying in his silly-heartbreaking way. The Austrian licks his lips in the way that tells James that he’s trying not to smile or laugh, and that makes James crack a little, but he doesn’t laugh because this _isn’t_ funny. His son is sick, he has a fever, and just because he cries like that—

“Don’t you dare laugh at my son!” He finally whispers harshly to Niki, who’s leaning against the door and holding his hand over his mouth, his blue eyes squeezed shut and his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. It makes James smile, but he bites his lip, watching Niki as he laughs to himself over Kimi’s ridiculous crying.

James finds himself staring for far too long, a smile stuck on his face as he watches Niki calm down. He notices how cute the Austrian looks with his brown curls all over the place, his sleeping clothes obviously mussed from the quick dash out of his bed, and the way his nose wrinkles as he laughs.

“What?” Niki finally asks, clearing his throat and running his fingers through his messy hair, looking just a little self-conscious.

James snaps out of it and shrugs, pressing a kiss to the fussing Kimi’s forehead. He doesn’t know what to say to the other man; it’s not like he can just say ‘you’re cute’ or ‘have you always been this endearing?’

No, he’d rather not say anything at all. Aside from, “He has a fever. What do I do?”

\--

He’s an idiot for asking a twenty-one-year-old what to do about a sick baby. Niki had given him a look, one that said ‘are you serious?’ before asking rhetorically, “Do I look like I would know something like that?”

So, he phoned his mother.

She said he would be fine, as long as the fever went away before tomorrow evening. If Kimi still had a fever, James would have to take him to the doctor’s. James was nervous, holding Kimi on his hip as he talked to his mum, and hearing Niki puttering around in the kitchen.

“Thanks, mum, goodnight.” He mutters into the receiver before hanging up, shifting Kimi from his hip to hold him against his chest. The little Finn has calmed down, but he’s still hot, and James goes to the play-changing blanket on the ground to remove his pyjamas. They have little lambs on it, something cute that his sister had given him.

“So?”

James looks over his shoulder to Niki, who’s making his way to the couch, settling down on it with a sigh. He looks at James expectantly, and the Brit goes back to carefully unsnapping his son’s clothes, “He’ll be fine, I just want to try to break his fever. If you want to go back to sleep, it’s best to do it now before he starts up again.”

Niki doesn’t move. Instead, he shifts and clears his throat, “Do you need anything? For Kimi?”

_…what?_

James tries not to show the confusion on his face as he glances over at his roommate, because Niki’s never really offered to help him with anything aside from cooking dinner and moving in. He doesn’t exactly distance himself from James and Kimi, but he doesn’t help, either. This is the first time James hasn’t had to ask him for anything.

Instead, James licks his dry lips and shakes his head, offering Niki a small smile, “No, thanks. We’re fine.”

Niki nods, looking a tad awkward, before standing up and making his way back to his bedroom.

James hadn’t realized where his eyes had been before Niki – and his ass – were out of sight.

\--

Kimi’s eyes are grey, an icy grey. They’re beautiful, something James has never seen before, but now he gets to see them every single day. He’s lying on the ground with Kimi in the living room; it’s early in the morning now, around seven. Kimi’s been falling in and out of a fitful sleep for the past two hours, and James is tired but too worried. He can’t go back to sleep until Kimi settles down.

He’s spread out Kimi’s blanket onto the floor over the carpet, laying with him in the rising sun. Kimi’s kicking his legs and waving his arms now and then, staring up at the ceiling where the shadows from the blinds are hitting, transfixed. James had opened the balcony blinds once the sun began to rise, shutting the lights and laying in the orange and yellow glow with his upset son.

From here, the iciness of Kimi’s eyes are beautiful. From this angle, it’s as if he doesn’t have a pupil, just a grey gaze that reflects the sun and its shadows. James’ tired eyes shift over to the clock on the wall for the fifth time in the past hour, noting the time with a small frown before looking at his son again.

“Are you alright yet, darling?” He asks softly, reaching over and smoothing Kimi’s hair from his no-longer-hot forehead, smiling as the platinum blond turns his head away and coos.

“You’re doing better than you were an hour ago…do you want me to rock you to bed? Maybe give you that thing Niki bought you?”

Kimi just rubs his face with his chubby fists and cries out softly, looking so sad that it hurts James.

He pulls himself from the floor and crawls over to the backpack full of baby stuff; he takes this thing _everywhere_ with Kimi, no matter what. It’s proved handy various times, aside from public restrooms, where he now has to look for ‘family’ rooms or ‘unisex’. He’s frustrated with the lack of changing tables in men’s bathrooms when he takes Kimi out shopping with family or friends.

He takes the plastic blue pacifier out of the side pocket and brings it to his own mouth first, popping the little rubber end between his lips and looking to Kimi. The baby fusses and reaches out to James and the pacifier, his face crumpling in distress before James pops the thing out of his mouth and chuckles, leaning down to delicately put it into Kimi’s searching mouth, “There you are, darling, no need to cry…”

Kimi settles down, sucking away at the pacifier and staring up at his father, his cheeks now a normal shade of rose that they usually are. James had felt so bad for him earlier, sick and without anything to ease the pain.

“Next time, I will take you to the doctor,” he murmurs, propping his head up onto his hand and laying on his side, shifting closer to Kimi until the little Finn was tucked safely against him, “We’ll get you some medicine and you’ll be back to normal in no time. No fever, no nothing, just sleep. Alright?”

Kimi just stares at him, blinking his adorably large eyes up at James. The Brit can’t help but to smile and lean down to kiss his forehead, gently nuzzling Kimi’s temple with the tip of his nose.

In fifteen minutes, Kimi’s finally asleep, and James takes the pacifier from his mouth before taking them back to bed.

\--

He’s a little buzzed when he gets home, but it’s a given after attending an awards show. He’s been graced with a Groovewood Award as “one of the three drivers to have promising careers”, or something like that. It was very rewarding to go up and receive it, a cigarette dangling between his lips as he gave a little speech about how he had wanted to become a doctor before falling in love with racing.

As he arrived back at the apartment, he unlocked the door slower than normal, and he’s impressed to hear the lack of crying. Kimi had fussed and cried in Niki’s arms when James had left him with his temporary babysitter at the beginning of the evening. Sue had been busy tonight; his father was taking her out on a date, apparently, and Niki had actually offered to babysit for the few hours that James would be gone.

He had done a pretty good job, from the looks of things. The flat was clean, Kimi was lounging on his play-changing blanket, surrounded by pillows and leaning back on them, watching the TV set with wide eyes.

“Welcome home,” Niki mutters from the couch, and James glances over at him, their eyes catching. James offers him a smile, and it’s returned.

“How was he?” He asks with a slight slur, toeing off his shoes and making his way over to Kimi, surprising him with a little ‘bah!’ and giggling as Kimi’s chubby arms fly up in surprise.

“He was an angel, unlike his father,” Niki teases from the couch, sitting up slowly as James kneels down onto the blanket, smothering Kimi with kisses and hearing the Finn yelp in protest and, again, surprise. James is grinning widely and looking so in love, utter bliss and happiness etched onto his face. It’s a sweet moment.

“Kimi, look what papa received tonight,” James grins as he shows his son the light circle of glass, Kimi losing interest in the show he and Niki had been watching as soon as he catches sight of something new and foreign. He takes it in both of his chubby, clumsy little hands and brings it to his mouth instantly, gently gnawing on the smooth edges with his drool-y gums.

He misses Niki’s jealous look. “He has drowned his teething ring twice already,” Niki mumbles from the couch, watching the two on the floor as he stretches with a soft sound, “It is in the freezer again. I fed him an hour ago, burped him, changed his nappy…he is ready for a cuddle and sleep. I left that to you.”

It had been funny trying to teach Niki how to feed and burp and change Kimi. Niki had been so frustrated, yet determined. He gagged when he changed Kimi’s diaper, and James had laughed himself slapstick silly as he watched Niki wipe and powder Kimi’s bum slowly. Kimi hadn’t been all too impressed by it, looking grumpy and kicking his legs. Niki had tried so hard, and succeeded, but the best thing for James was watching the Austrian feed his son. But he didn’t know why he felt the surge of affection towards his friend and roommate. He just let the thought go through his head before letting it go.

“Thanks, Niki,” James looks up from Kimi to his flatmate, smiling sincerely despite his light-headedness, remembering earlier in the day, “Really. Thanks.”

The Austrian presses his lips together and makes a soft sound in his throat, nodding and looking just a little awkward, as he usually does when James shows him anything close to affection. James finds it incredibly endearing, and they stare for a moment too long again, until James’ award goes tumbling away and Kimi yells after it.

\--

James sleeps with Kimi that night, placing a pillow fortress around his son as he usually does, and cuddles and kisses him until Kimi drifts off in his arms. He watches Kimi sleep often, watching how his long eyelashes twitch as he dreams, until he drifts off himself.

He loves Kimi so much, he can’t believe how much this little boy has changed his life within six months. Partying is fun, yes, but there’s a time and place for it now. He’ll drink, sometimes around Kimi, but doesn’t get roaring drunk as often as he had been. Drugs have been cut down to pot, which goes hand-in-hand with the parties he sometimes attends when he’s up to it. Girls, he fucks sometimes, when the opportunity presents itself, but doesn’t take her back to his place. He’ll either fuck a few different girls in one night and return home, or spend the night with one or two back at their place. It’s easier that way.

Racing is getting better, too, if it’s possible. He’s improving, his car is fast, and it’s all great. His lift is finding a nice balance. Niki’s doing alright, struggling a little with his car and its parts, but James can’t bring himself to care too much. Niki’s his competition, after all.

And, he doesn’t like to talk about it. He mumbles an excuse whenever James tries to prod.

Kimi wakes his father up in the morning with a small slap to his face and a dirty diaper. At least he’s happy this morning, giggling and smiling at James, who’s trying desperately to wake up.

He wonders if his roommate is awake, “Niki!” He calls, rubbing his eyes and feeling Kimi roll onto his stomach, and when he takes a peek, he’s actually lifting himself up with his arms.

James finds a reason to fully wake up, because he’s so proud and excited. He calls for Niki again, his voice a touch more desperate.

“What the hell do you want?” The grump comes in, pushing open the door with a glare. His face has sleep lines on it and his curls are a mess, and James motions to Kimi excitedly.

Niki’s glare softens and he smiles, leaning against the door as Kimi falls onto his face, but pushes himself up yet again.

“Look at him! He’s practically doing push-ups!” James chuckles, sitting up a little more before he waves his arm at Niki again, “Get the camera, over there! Hurry!”

The Austrian grumbles as he does so, handing it to James with a small pout, while the blond snatches it from his hand and begins to click away at his son happily.

He has almost filled up an entire photo album already with Kimi alone, and he still has two film reels to have developed. Niki thinks he’s crazy.

“Well,” the brunet mutters after a moment, “I am going to make something to eat, do you want anything?”

“A cup of coffee and a cig, thanks,” James smirks as he moves down the bed to get a picture of Kimi looking over his shoulder, “And whatever you’re having…”

Niki flips him off and leaves the bedroom.

\--

James had enjoyed his cigarette and coffee on the balcony, watching the city come to life during the rising of the sun. It was a gorgeous sight to see, even if the view wasn’t the best. He left Kimi on the floor on his blanket, glancing back at him from time to time, but puffed away at his cigarette and sipped at his hot coffee.

After he was done, he returned inside, smiling at Kimi and scooping him up into his arms.

Niki was finishing up breakfast when he and Kimi made their way into the kitchen. It smelt good, whatever it was Niki had whipped up, and James sets his coffee cup onto the table before moving over to Kimi’s highchair in the corner.

“I will never understand you.” Niki mutters suddenly as he watches James carefully place Kimi in his highchair, making sure the little Finn’s arms are on the plastic top before he secures it in place.

“It could be for the better,” James hums, grabbing the little bowl of mashed banana and formula milk he had prepared before stepping out to the balcony, and pulled up a seat to the kitchen table, “What do _you_ think?” He asks, pulling the highchair closer and giving Kimi a beaming, over-the-top grin. His son smiles back shyly behind his chubby hands, which are interlaced in front of his mouth and he’s sucking on them.

Niki doesn’t answer for a moment, too caught up in the moment of watching James feed his son mashed banana with a small metal spoon that has a white rubber or plastic cover at the end. Kimi takes delight in the taste, chewing with his little gums and tooth, beginning to kick his chubby legs at his breakfast.

“I think it is for the better,” Niki finally mutters, taking hold of his mug’s handle and lifting it to his lips, “I dislike…familiarity.”

“But you also hate surprises,” James reminds him while feeding Kimi another spoonful, catching the little bit that the little blond spits out onto his chin and bringing it back up to his mouth.

“That is true…”

He’s learnt a lot about his roommate since moving in. Niki hates bullshit of any kind and prefers to get to whatever point he’s trying to get to. He’s serious, but can be silly and fun. He’s amusing, and James has begun to sort-of respect him.

“So, you hate things that are familiar, but you don’t like change, either?”

“I never said anything about change.”

James shrugs and gives Kimi another spoonful.

They’re quiet for a moment, the silence filled with Niki unfolding the newspaper and James dipping the spoon into the bowl again. Kimi hums and grunts, smacking the little tabletop with his chubby hands as he turns his head to look at Niki. James glances over at the Austrian as well, grabbing another spoonful of banana and smirking when he feeds Kimi, watching how the little brat doesn’t even take his eyes away from their flatmate.

“Niki, you have an admirer,” he says softly, and Niki looks up from his newspaper, his brows furrowed in the way they usually are on the track. His face relaxes and the two stare at one another, Kimi sucking on his fist again and Niki holding onto his newspaper.

“What?” He asks, and Kimi gives a little squeal, back to chewing on his fist again just moments later. James can’t help but to chuckle.

Niki smiles back at the little boy and shakes his head, returning to his paper while James leans in to press a kiss to his son’s cheek.

\--

James is in second place, or rather, _tied_ in second place with Dave Morgan. It’s been a close race for a while now, and James’ blood is still simmering from the bump Morgan had given him earlier on. James is eager to get first place and set the other man in his place, rightfully behind him. Niki had spun out on the 14 th lap and James had barely missed crashing into his car as he flew by, not seeing the pissed off Austrian standing just off the track.

Now on the final lap, James is trying his best to get just a little bit ahead of Morgan, who’s also trying to pass him. They’re nearing the South Tower Corner, and if James lets him pass, he’ll be second and there’s _no_ way James is going to let that happen.

They fly around the corner, Morgan’s tires bump his, and they’re crashing. They spin out furiously, squealing tires and struggling to regain some sense of control. James ends up in the middle of the track, and he’s in shock for a moment, because he sees two of _his_ tires rolling away to the side of the track.

He’s out of his car in a second, his face red with anger as he tugs off his helmet and rushes over to the other driver. Morgan is rubbing his head, leaning against his car, and when their eyes connect, he speaks, “Hunt--”

James furiously pushes him to the ground, huffing with his anger, and ready to kick the other driver’s teeth in before he feels someone pulling him away.

There’s angry German in his ear, and James wonders how Niki managed to get there so quickly.

\--

“You are an absolute idiot!”

He knows.

“I know your temper can get out of control, but there was _no_ reason to push him! Now you are going to get in trouble and who knows—maybe they’ll kick you out!”

Niki’s accent is thicker when he’s angry, and James can’t help but to notice how cute he looks when he has anger written all over his ratty face.

“Niki, it was just a push, it’s not like I ran over him with the intent to kill.”

“If your wheels had not fallen off, I am sure you would have tried.”

Well, James wouldn’t go that far, but he’s blind to rationality when pissed off.

“Can we go home now? It’s bad enough that I lost first place today, but now you’re making me hang around for now reason…”

“Fine.”

\--

“Summoned by the RAC,” James mumbles as he watches Kimi sleep, noticing out of the corner of his eye how Niki glances up from his magazine, “I guess I’m not surprised…but it was his fault, Kimy. Not mine.”

“Hopefully they’ll believe that,” Niki comments, flipping a glossy page absently. James has never seen someone live and breathe cars to such an extreme as Niki. “You probably hurt him.”

“He crashed into _me_ , Niki,” he retorts as he lifts his head, frowning at his roommate, “He tried to shunt the Shunt, and look what happened.”

Niki grumbles something under his breath about a cunt and the Shunt, and lifts his magazine a little higher, engrossing himself into the engine editorial on page eleven.

James smiles and looks down at Kimi, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

The next day, James sits in a room and listens to his fellow racers recall their versions of what had happened. Even though he was supposed to pay attention, his eyes had constantly drifted from the witnesses to Niki, who was sitting off to the side with Kimi in his lap, gently bouncing him as Kimi sucked on his pacifier calmly. It’s was a rather endearing sight, with a grumpy Niki looking around the room as he holds onto Kimi’s chubby stomach.

“Mr. Hunt,” a clipped voice says, and James gazes back at the man deciding his fate. He’s cleared by a tribunal while Morgan’s given a 12-month suspension from racing. James feels a little bad for him, but it’s mostly the thought of not being able to race for a year that creates the pity.

“See?” James grins as he leaves the room with Niki, who’s holding Kimi on his hip and giving James a half-hearted glare, one that clearly says ‘shut up’, and then he’s stopped by another man in a suit before they manage to leave the building.

Niki looks curiously at him, but says nothing, and simply nods when James asks him to take Kimi to his car. James is surprised at his compliancy; the Austrian is usually very stubborn and questions nearly everything the blond does.

He leaves the building just over ten minutes later, wearing a grin as he slides into the passenger seat of his car. Niki stares at him wearily, hearing Kimi gurgling happily in the back seat upon seeing his father again.

“Guess who’s getting a sponsorship from Coca-Cola?”

Niki burns with jealousy while James turns to tell the good news to his son.


End file.
